Ricky Ponting admits he had to go back to basics to rediscover his talents with the bat and keep his Test career alive.
Ponting smashed 134 as part of Australia's sheer dominance at the SCG on Wednesday, which has the home side 4 for 482 leading into day three of the second Test against India on Thursday.
His record 288-run stand with Michael Clarke (251 not out) was the highlight on a one-sided day two where Australia lost just one wicket and built a considerable 291-run first innings lead over India's 191.
Former skipper Ponting, who is one of only four players in history to be part of the 12,000 Test runs club, said he needed to rebuild his technique from the ground up after going two years without scoring a century.
Ponting was under the microscope and critics were after his head.
The other four players to have passed 12,000 career runs - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis - had all scored at least eight centuries each in the time since Ponting's last, against Pakistan in January 2010.
For the first time, Ponting's technique was being properly exposed and he was particularly vulnerable playing off his pads - a pillar of strength for him through the golden years.
The 37-year-old Tasmanian said the road has been long, but he knew the rewards would eventually come.
"I've had to work exceptionally hard, harder than ever on certain technical aspects of my game, there's no doubt about that," he said.
"The thing that's starting to come back anyway is just getting that real rhythm back about my batting again and feeling at ease at the crease.
"When you're going through a lean trot it's amazing how many little things creep into your head and those things can sometimes take over and get in the way of what you're trying to do.
"I've had a really clear mind this week knowing that what I've been working on is starting to come good for me."
Clarke has already surpassed the highest score by an Australian at the SCG and fittingly in the 100th Test played at the venue, he is within reach of eclipsing the biggest individual total ever assembled in Sydney (287 set by England's Reginald Foster in 1903-04).
The skipper said it is too early to know where to rank the innings amongst his 18 Test centuries to date.
"I was really proud of the 150 I got against South Africa (in November), they were really tough circumstances and I thought that wicket did a lot more than this wicket did," said Clarke who is in the midst of a 157-run stand with Michael Hussey who will resume 55 not out.
"What makes me proud is that I batted the whole day, that's something I've always tried to do and I haven't done very often."
AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, australia, nsw, sydney-2000 First posted January 05, 2012 07:08:07
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